Blast of cold weather threatens some plants

It may be May, but temperatures on tap for this week will have it feeling more like winter for a few days. Although April 21 is the average date for the final spring frost, there's a freeze warning in effect for the Pittsburgh region from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesday.

"A lot of this fresh growth is extremely susceptible to frost and to cold weather so these are the things we have to protect," Tarris said.

Tarris says even if the cold doesn't kill the plant, it will likely decrease the number of blooms. He says bringing plants indoors or covering plants with some kind of cloth, not plastic, is the best way to protect them from freezing.

"Old T-shirts, pillow cases or that sort of thing would do a much better job than plastic. A lot of that cold weather can transfer through the plastic and still damage the leaves," Tarris said.

He also suggests keeping the ground moist and making sure roots are protected.

"Things like mulch and straw to mound around your plants in freezing conditions is a very good idea," he said.